Nov. 8, 2013
COLUMBIA, S.C. – After opening the season with three meets on the road in October, South Carolina took last weekend off before the team will host its only SEC dual meet of the season on Saturday. The Gamecocks will host LSU at 10 a.m. ET at the Carolina Natatorium.
MEET INFORMATION
Date/Opponent: Saturday, Nov. 9 vs. LSU
Time: 10 a.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Facility: Carolina Natatorium
Live Stats
Gamecocks Home at Last
After opening the season with three meets on the road in October, South Carolina took last weekend off before the team will host its only SEC dual meet of the season on Saturday. The Gamecocks will host LSU at 10 a.m. ET at the Carolina Natatorium.
Series History
The Gamecock men hold a slim lead in the all-time series against LSU, leading them 4-3, while the LSU women own a 5-2 lead all-time versus the Gamecocks.
Last Time vs. LSU
On Oct. 13, 2007, the South Carolina men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams each suffered their first conference loss of the season, falling to LSU, at the Carolina Natatorium. The LSU women won by a narrow margin, defeating the Gamecocks by a score of 164-136. On the men’s side, the Tigers won with a final tally of 204.5-94.5.
Scouting LSU
The LSU men are 0-2 this season competing against only SEC competition this season, falling 180-112 to Georgia and 151-87 to Auburn. The women are 1-2, defeating Tulane 211-89, while falling to Georgia 170.5-118.5 and Arkansas 180-120. This will be the first time this season that the Tigers will leave the comforts of the LSU Natatorium.
Nationally Ranked
After some standout performances at No. 8 Tennessee, the South Carolina men’s swimming and diving team is ranked No. 25 in the first College Swimming Coaches Association of America Division I Team Rankings of the 2013-14 season.
Men Roll in Greenville
The 25th-ranked men’s team claimed 13 events, led by senior Michael Flach and redshirt freshman Kevin Leithold who each grabbed three individual wins. Slow to start the season, Flach picked things up today by winning the 100 (50.49) and 200 (1:51.50) butterfly and the 1000 freestyle (9:31.56). Leithold, who made a big splash at Tennessee, won the 50 (21.16) and 100 (45.97) freestyle along with the 200 IM (1:51.17). The two also teamed up with junior Michael Covert and senior Gerard Rodriguez to win the 400 freestyle relay at 3:06.78.
Diving to the Top of the SEC
In back-to-back weeks to start the season, South Carolina had one its divers named SEC Diver of the week. Junior Cole Miller won the honor on Oct. 22 after producing big results at Tennessee. He claimed the 3-meter board title with 409.28 points, his second consecutive week scoring over 400 points in that event. The junior finished second on the 1-meter board with 328.65 points, falling to former SEC platform champion Mauricio Robles by 0.15 points after the final dive. His mark on the 3-meter at Tennessee currently leads the conference, while his total of 365.02 on the 1-meter against College of Charleston is second.
A week prior, junior Patricia Kranz was named SEC Female Diver of the Week (10/15) after winning the three-meter springboard at the dual meet against College of Charleston. She earned the honor after placing first in the three-meter and taking second in the one-meter board. Her mark of 369.23 points was just shy of a career mark in the event. She finished with 303.52 points in the one-meter. Her score in the three-meter currently ranks first in the SEC, while her one-meter score ranks second in the conference.
Youth Movement
At Tennessee, redshirt freshman Kevin Leithold and true freshman Sam Lynch produced nationally ranked teams en-route to wins. Leithold posted the nation’s 12th ranked time in the 100 freestyle as he won the event at 44.61. The redshirt freshman also claimed the win in the 100 breaststroke with the 23rd ranked time of 56.27. Lynch posted the 18th fastest time in the 100 butterfly as he won the event in 48.98. Leithold has yet to lose a race at South Carolina in five events.
Transferring Impact
Since transferring from Louisville, Victoria Mitchell has made an immediate impact on the women’s team as she’s won four events in two dual meets. Individually, the junior won the 200 and 800 freestyles two weeks ago at College of Charleston, before capturing 1000 freestyle and the 200 IM at Tennessee. A week later she won the 200 and 500 freestyle, and 200 backstroke. In eight races as a Gamecock she has seven first-place finishes and one second .
